Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Introduction: 'In Praise Of The Wilderness' - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Akh ty les, moy les (Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Gde zhe vy, druyzhki lyubeznye (Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ty ne boys (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Nedosug, khozyayushka, sidet (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ch' ya ty, devitsa (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ay zhe ty prekrasnaya devitsa (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Den' i noch' u nas sluzhba voskresnaya (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Milyy, kak bez radosti prozhit (Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ispolat', usta sakharnye (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ty golubushka (Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Tol'ko vyshli strel'tsy (Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Oy! Oy, vernisya (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Vygonyal on - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ty otkol' vzyalasya (Poyarok, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Pokazhi, Mikhaylushka - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Iz-za ozera Yara - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
18. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Gospodi, spasi nas - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
19. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Nam-to chto? (Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
20. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Kormil'tsy vy milostnye (Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
21. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Ne vidat', tak i ne nadobno (Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
22. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Poezd svadebnyy (Poyarok) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
23. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Ty otstan (Fevroniya, Poyarok, Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
24. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Pomolisya, Grisha, Gospodu (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma, Poyarok) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
25. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Kak po mostikam - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
26. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Gayda! Gay! (Bedyay, Burunday, Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
27. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Sosluzhi lish' sluzhbu vernuyu (Burunday, Bedyay, Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
28. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Gayda! Gay! (Kuter'ma, Bedyay, Burunday, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov

Disc 2:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Zdravy bud'te, lyudi kitezhane (Poyarok, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Fyodor! Druzhe! (Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Fyodo! Druzhe! (Poyarok, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Kak? Kak, ona? (Prince Vsevolod, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: O, slava, bogatstvo suetnoe (Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Chudnaya nebesnaya tsaritsa (Poyarok, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Pyl' stolbom podnyalas' do neba - Rimsky-Korsakov
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Okh, strashna desnitsa Bozhiya (Prince Yury, Prince Vsevolod, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Gore, gore gradu Kitezhu - Rimsky-Korsakov
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Byti Kitezhu razgrablenu (Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Chudnaya nebesnaya tsaritsa - Rimsky-Korsakov
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Da svershitsya volya Bozhiya (Prince Yury, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Podnyalasya s polunochi (Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Chto zh stoim my, syostry? (Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: A tuman vsyo gustche (Prince Yury, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Entr'acte To The Second Scene: The Battle Near Kerzhenets - Rimsky-Korsakov
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Vot dubrava ta (Kuter'ma, Burunday, Bedyay) - Rimsky-Korsakov
18. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Oy zhe, vy murzy tatarskie (Burunday, Bedyay) - Rimsky-Korsakov
19. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Ne vorony, ne golodnye (Burunday) - Rimsky-Korsakov
20. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Akh, ty milyy zhenikh moy (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
21. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Slysh' ty, devitsa (Kuter'ma, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
22. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Net, gudit, gudit proklyatyy zvon (Kuter'ma, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
23. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Otchego 'ne day Bog', Grishen'ka? (Fevroniya) (Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
24. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Stupay, Gospoden' rab (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
25. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Oy, golubchiki, na vole ya (Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov

Disc 3:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Oy, nel'zya idti mne (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Ya ne greshnik (Kuter'ma, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Ty zemlya, nasha mati miloserdnaya (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Chto zhe mne? (Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Grishen'ka (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Posmotryu ya: chto zdes' tsvetikov (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Posmotryu ya: chto zdes' tsvetikov (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Razygralis' ptashki vol'nyya (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Ty li, yasnyy svet ochey moikh? (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Zhiv nadyozha, drug (Fevronya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Se zhenikh prishyol (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Kto vkusil ot khleba nashego (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Gospodi Isuse (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Entr'acte to Scene 2 - Rimsky-Korsakov
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2 - Rimsky-Korsakov
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Dveri rayskiya (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Tsartsvo svetozarnoe (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
18. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Kak po tsvetikam po lazorevym (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
19. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Milost' Bozhiya nad toboy, nevesta (Prince Yury, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
20. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Otchego u vas zdes' svet velik (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod, Prince Yury, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
21. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Budi s nami zdes' voveki (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
22. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Budi s nami zdes' voveki (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
23. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Grishen'ka, khot' slab ty razumom (Fevroniya, Poyarok, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98761 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-17
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .71 pounds
• Running time: 181 minutes

From Amazon.com
Thanks to Valery Gergiev's efforts--including his accounts of The Tsar's Bride and Kashchey the Immortal--Rimsky-Korsakov operas are no longer a mystery, but that doesn't mean there's any clearer consensus on their quality. This opera suggests why. Rimsky no doubt sensed that he had the orchestral tone painting ability to convincingly project the magical moment when the city of Kitezh under siege by the Tartars manages to disappear. That and certain other moments, such as the opera's harmonically rich, proto-Richard Strauss finale and a number of choral and orchestral passages are powerful payoffs for an uneven opera that asks the composer to elevate Russian folk tale in the way that Wagner did for Nordic mythology. But the subplots are as sprawling as the title, and Rimsky's characters stand only knee-high to Wagner's towering creations. Still, the tunes are pretty good, the orchestral scoring pricks up the ear in the less-inspired passages of the libretto, and the performance is a middling representation of the amazing Kirov standard. All the singers are solid--some rather more than that--though Kirov star Galina Gorchakova, who plays the Maiden Fevroniya, has so many vocally ungraceful moments she's fatiguing to the ear. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews

Mmmmmm......
I think some folks have gotten their wires crossed in terms of recordings here. The Philips release was recorded live in St. Petersburg in 1994, but there isn't the slightest trace of crowd noises, and if I hadn't gone back to check just now, I would have sworn it was a studio recording.

That said, I'm afraid I don't have the expertise to comment on the vocal talents of individual performers. I might be an opera buff, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to make skilled critiques of individual performances. What I CAN say is that in spite of my lack of formal training, this opera (this recording, specifically) quickly became one of my favorites in my collection of over one hundred operas. The vocalists certainly don't sound bad, and the orchestra plays with all the passion due an opera by a Russian Nationalist composer. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, or maybe it's just that I love magic opera of the romantic persuasion, but I think that Rimsky-Korsakov's operas are starting to get some more attention among fans in the US.

Kitezh has everything that you'd expect from Rimsky-Korsakov-- highly romanticized, mythological themes, lush orchestration (and I can say with some confidence that Gergiev conducts the music with emotion and fire to spare), and drawn-out arias that highlight the emotions and sincerity of the lead characters. One frequent criticism that just plain confuses me is that this opera is long-winded and dull. Unfortunately, the only response I can think of is 'No, it's not.' Perhaps what it comes down to is an individual take on Rinsky-Korsakov's music. If you're drawn toward his lush sound and devotion to larger-than-life themes, then Kitezh will most likely satisfy you with its aural richness, unfailingly romantic themes (of a Brothers Grimm meets Andersen bent), and epic scope. If you're looking for gritty realism or head-on engagement of contemporary philosophical themes, then you've come to the wrong place. This opera is strictly for adults who retain a special place in their hearts for a fantasy world that never was, and may never be, but can always be dreamt of. This is that world's soundtrack.

Can be better
Though I do not agree with Rimsky-Korsakov being "knee-height" to Wagner's "towers" (which certainly have ther due greatness BUT, as one reviewer of his Parsifal so aptly pointed out, are packed with a lot of "detritus"....they really do lumber on with those long arias) I certainly have my reservations about THIS Rimsky-Korsakov recording. I am yet to discover a digital, studio recording of Kitezh. I share the previous reviwers' relief that this is a complete recording but what a bad one!

I do not share the view that the noise is acceptable. One particular hacking cough from the audience had me wondering if the cougher was cast as a part of the performance, given how well-miked she was. The applause, though well-derserved for a live performance, is never welcome on CD until perhaps the end (at least not for me). But considering it is present at the end of each Act, to hear these audial obstructions in the same place EVERY time (i.e., the fact that they are recorded) is maddening.

The next matter is Galinan Gorchakova. Stunning voice, though not a very "involved" reading (she later admitted in an interview that she found the performance 'boring') AND sadly miscast. Fevroniya's character is that of a young and innocent maiden. Despite her talent, Gorchakova's voice is much too rich...much too mature for this role to be as convincing as it should be. Here, Marina Shaguch would have been IDEAL...if only she exercises more control over her breathing. I yearn for the day when this lovely soprano will silence her critics for calling her singing "edgy".

The next matter concerns the full-price of these recordings from Gergiev's Philips series. Many of his recordings are, of course, well worth it. However, the full-price of THIS Kitezh cannot be justified (3 discs or NOT) given such a noisy recording. The music IS stunning and this opera DESERVES to be made MUCH more popular than it is. Along a similar vein, I also have no doubt that Rimsky's Sadko is every bit as musically mesmerising (given the exerpted concert arias I have come across), however, as the Philips/Gergiev production of Sadko is another reputedly NOISY recording, I refuse to purchase it at full-price (Gergiev or NOT!). Reissue or re-make is my position.

We certainly deserve better; therefore: 1 star for the stunning composition; 1 for the monumental work of producing it; 1 for the other well-sung roles.

An Incomparable Kitezh
I, too, believe that Julian Grant got his recordings mixed up. The Gergiev is quite free from noise. There is some stage noise associated with a live performance but the audience was quiet except for applause, which came a short period of silence.

I also agree on the excellent quality of the singers. If one is interested in hearing the operas of Rimsky, Gergiev is a good choice. I find myself wanting to see these operas performed in the US. Tchaikovsky is performed regularly so why not Rimsky Korsakov?